Should Christians boycott Starbucks?

Some conservative Christians are joining a Starbucks boycott. (AP file)

Dump Starbucks is the latest anti-gay marriage campaign by the National Organization for Marriage, which is asking people of faith to boycott the world’s most popular coffee chain for its corporate stance on same-sex unions.

Starbucks, headquartered in Seattle, released a statement supporting the state’s new legislation recognizing gay marriage.

In response, NOM wrote, “Starbucks has declared a culture war on all people of faith (and millions of others) who believe that the institution of marriage as one man and one woman is worth preserving. A portion of every cup of coffee purchased at a Starbucks anywhere in the world goes to fund this corporate assault on marriage.”

Some socially conservative Christians have joined the campaign of 20,000-plus participants, while others are dismissing the efforts.

Baptist leader Russell D. Moore does not believe a boycott is a proper Christian response to policies they oppose. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary dean wrote Tuesday for Christian Post:

We don’t persuade our neighbors by mimicking their angry power-protests. We persuade them by holding fast to the gospel, by explaining our increasingly odd view of marriage, and by serving the world and our neighbors around us….

With the confidence of those who have been vindicated by the resurrection of Christ, we don’t need to be vindicated by the culture. That ought to free us to speak openly about what we believe, but with the gentleness of those who have nothing to prove.

Let’s not boycott our neighbors. Let’s not picket or scream or bellow. Let’s offer a cup of cold water, or maybe even a grande skinny vanilla latte, in Jesus’ name.

Just over half of Americans support gay marriage, including a slight majority of Catholics and white mainline Protestants, according to the Public Religion Research Institute. White evangelicals and Christians from racial minorities are most likely to oppose.